BITWARDEN VS. PASSBOLT

Bitwarden maintains an open source codebase, with server, clients, browser extensions, and mobile apps, supported by a substantially larger GitHub community than Passbolt. The codebase is reviewed annually by Cure53 and Insight Risk Consulting, and a HackerOne bug bounty program keeps independent researchers financially motivated to find issues before bad actors do. This collaborative model means every update is scrutinized by a global network of developers and security professionals, resulting in continuous improvements to security posture.

Passbolt is also genuinely open source, and all audit reports are published publicly. Its community is smaller, and it does not operate a public bug bounty program. Passbolt also engages Cure53 for ongoing audits.

Bitwarden supports self-hosting on Linux, macOS, and Windows via Docker, with Kubernetes support for larger deployments. A simplified Lite deployment option is also available for smaller teams.

Passbolt supports both self-hosting and cloud, but moving between deployment modes requires a complex manual migration. Organizations must choose their model up front.

Bitwarden Send lets users share encrypted text or files with anyone, including external partners, contractors, and non-technical staff, without requiring a Bitwarden account. Shared items support expiration dates, view limits, and password protection. For internal teams, shared collections allow granular role-based permission control across the organization.

Passbolt sharing requires all recipients to have a Passbolt account with a GPG key configured. This is practical for internal IT teams sharing server credentials, but creates significant friction for organizations that need to share with people outside their Passbolt deployment.

Bitwarden is ISO 27001 certified and compliant with AICPA SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. This certification set makes Bitwarden the appropriate choice for regulated industries such as healthcare, financial services, and government, without requiring additional compliance controls.

Passbolt holds SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance and has been audited repeatedly by Cure53, with all reports published publicly. However, HIPAA certification is not listed anywhere on their compliance or security documentation. For organizations in healthcare or other regulated industries, this is a genuine gap.

Bitwarden offers services across 50+ languages and continues to expand its translation program to support more global businesses of any size.

Passbolt supports a limited number of languages, making it less accessible for global organizations with diverse, multilingual workforces.

Bitwarden offers native apps for iOS and Android, applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, and extensions for every major browser. A password manager only improves security when employees actually use it. The Bitwarden G2 ease-of-use scores and eleven straight quarters at #1 for enterprise satisfaction reflect this. Bitwarden was built to serve the entire organization, from engineers to executives.

Passbolt offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a Windows desktop app (currently in beta). Its primary interface remains the browser extension, with no native desktop client for macOS or Linux. For organizations with mixed operating system environments or those needing a polished cross-platform experience outside the browser, the broader client coverage with Bitwarden is a meaningful advantage.

1. Open Passbolt and select the password(s) or the folder(s) you’d like to export.

2. If you want to export all the passwords you have access to, you can click on the menu next to “Folders”.

3. Click on the “Export” or “Export all” button. 

4. Choose the right format for the export.

5. You will be prompted to enter your passphrase.

6. The download will start, and you will be able to open the file.

Then log in to your Bitwarden web vault, navigate to Tools → Import data, select the .kdbx file format, and upload your export. Enterprise customers receive dedicated onboarding support throughout migration.

Both are open source password managers, but Bitwarden is built for the entire organization, not just the IT team. Bitwarden offers desktop apps for Mac and Linux (Passbolt's desktop client is Windows-only and in beta), higher cross-platform app store ratings, automated vault health reports, credential sharing without recipient accounts, and broader compliance coverage, including HIPAA. The Bitwarden Teams plan is also priced lower ($4 vs. $4.90/user/month), with no minimum user requirement and all-inclusive, transparent pricing at every tier.

Yes, and with more flexibility. Bitwarden supports Docker-based self-hosting on Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as Kubernetes for larger deployments. 

See full self-hosting documentation.

The Bitwarden open source codebase is continuously reviewed by a substantially larger global community than Passbolt's. Annual third-party audits by Cure53 and Insight Risk Consulting cover source code, web vault, browser extensions, desktop, and mobile clients. A HackerOne bug bounty program rewards independent researchers for discovering and reporting security issues before they can be exploited. See bitwarden.com/compliance for a full list of Bitwarden security and compliance materials.

Both hold SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance. Beyond that, Bitwarden holds several certifications Passbolt does not: HIPAA certification (Passbolt describes privacy-by-design principles suitable for healthcare but does not claim HIPAA certification), SOC 3, ISO 27001 (Passbolt states alignment with ISO 27001 but does not hold the formal certification), and CCPA/CPRA. For healthcare organizations, HIPAA is the critical gap. For organizations undergoing enterprise procurement or security audits, the distinction between ISO 27001 certification and alignment is also worth noting.

Beyond the open source label, evaluate: community size and audit cadence, cross-platform app coverage, compliance certifications for your industry, credential sharing flexibility, and total pricing, including any feature add-ons. Most importantly, a password manager only improves security when employees actually use it. Bitwarden ranks #1 in enterprise satisfaction on G2 for 11 straight quarters because adoption follows deployment.